Adjustable automatic interval timer



April 1944- I J. B.. MARIS 2,346,694

ADJUSTABLE AUTOMATIC INTERVAL TIMER INVENTOR Jamesfi-Ma'rzs WQZL;

ATTORNEY April 18, 1944. MARls 2,346,694

ADJUSTABLE AUTOMATIC INTERVAL TIMER Filed Feb. 15, 1941 a Sheets- Sheet 2 ATTORNEY April 18, 1944.

J. B. MARIs ADJUSTABLE AUTOMATIC INTERVAL TIMER Filed Feb. 13, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 18, 1944 UNITED STATES CE ADJUSTABLE AUTOMATIC INTERVAL TIMER James'Br-Maris, Glen Ridge, App li cation February 13, 1941, Serial N; 378,7;11

(Cl;.;16l 1 7 Claims.

. This invention relates to improvements in di s a e auto atic, i ter time s-of thetyp where, for .instance an electrical-switch and a pressure .valve may be turned fonf and -offf at given periodic intervals and wherethe time ,on" and the time f off is independently and quickly adjustedqby manual; means. 4

, Interval. timers are I widely used in industry .ior

many important control, purposes such a Iturning foni and :foff valvespcontrolling heating and cooling operations, controlling the duration of chemical-reactions, controlling the sequences a of complicated chemical processing. operations,

etc. .iWhilethe interval timers, a such'usually operate to turn onfandfofi? a'switch or relay acting. as ,the primary impulse for, the. activation V of efurther control equipment, the timer invariably. furnishes a eries. of operations which are repeated withdefinite tim intervals. "The complete sequence of .onf and off operati ons is commonly-called one operationalcycle with reference to their similarity to; the well known trigonometric, functions. 'Ifhese functions ,usu

ally .have a. positive half! cycle and a negative half cycle which respectively correspond tdithe ,on ,and oiT per iods produced by the timer. The time between thejstart and'jend of a complete cycle is defined as the period of same even though one/such cycle'may represent several sequentialfonff and fofff intelrvalsn Theterm int va ihe e a t r." Us d 1J0 f efi e' t e. t m element between any two subseguent operations performed by the; timer. flhese intervals' may thus be any iraction'oi a' completeperiod and 7 these. in er a a etli ,the; 93i fe e ti e tors of their rcspgctive partsy 'oilthe operational Cycle T e res nt e i Q atrnevhkhe r ls a1 comm x le a' i 0. 'pps i interval and onenegative foff interval. In'the present timer 'th'e se two intervals are manually adjustable and maybeindependentlyyaried to a considerable extent; Inasmuch a 's the complete period which isrepeated by the timer will consistof the sum of the two variable half periods, the total period is thus also variable inside certain limits.

An importantobject of my inventionisto provide a' simpladight-weight, compact; silentassembly of apparatus having a--reliableand positivecycle of operation ior'controllingelectrical circuits and/or; valves,- 'etc., at given periodic intervals, said intervals being quickly adjustable -bymanua1 settingoftwo knobs.

- A further-object o f' my invention-is to provide an efficient, low cost,- silent, synchronous (motor driven combination time switch and "valve permittingthe manual selection of numerous-ton and off intervals, said periods being adjustable independent ofone another.

' -Another---objectof my'invention is to; provide an interval.timerwherethe ion? and ofii invtervals .maypbe quickly; selected by manually turning. a' knob ,for each and where the adjustfable range may be changed by supplying motors .of different. speeds.

- Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during'the course of the following description,

1 In. the accompanying drawings, forming a part .Of this, specification; and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts, throughout the same,

Figure 1-; isirontelevation of a timer assembly embodying my invention,

Figure-2;is a top plan along arrow 2gin Fi ure Figure 3 is a rearyiew ofthetimer, Figure l isanelevation of the timer with synchronous motor mountedin place, and with some parts omitted for. sake of clearness,

Figure 5 is a cross-section taken on line 5- --5 i Figure i Pa s i d r a e of c e ness, I

. Figure 6-is a cross-sectiontaken on line 6-43 of. Figure 11 with certain parts omitted, for sake of clearness. Figure '7: is a cross-sectionon .line: 1 -.7 of

Figure 2,

Figure 8. is

view. taken of, my invention, the numerals l5 and lfifdesignate the a mounting plateslbetween v.vvhicli"the timer mechanism is'mounted, see Figures lto 8, inclusive. ,The two plates, 15 'and'lfi areheld together by four posts, 11,118, ISlandZD'which are rigidly iastened'into plate I5 with one end. The other end of the post I! to20 have shoulders fitting to corresponding holes in plateflfi which is held to same by screws. A cov'er,' not shown inthe drawings, may be placed over' the opening between the plates [5 and I6 thereby preventing dust from entering the assembly.

Another cover may beplaced over the opening over the terminals; seeF-ig ure 3, for the same pu p t a,

' InfFigures 2, 3; 4, 5 and 6 is shown how the synchronous motor 2f is'mou'nted' to plate '16 with the screws" 22.- Th' leads-'23 and from the synchronous motor are broughto'verto "the I terminal block zt where the outsideline-is' also connected. on the iront races! the timer; see

Figures 1 and 2, are two knobs 26 and 21. Knob ZBserves to ele'ct the desirednumber. of minutes ran: whileg knob 21 i controls the number of ment of the insulating cam 47. Y of course that instead of. the single pole; singleminutes of the on interval. The face of the instrument also carries two valves 28 and 29. These consist of the usual tubular outer valve housing which are the outlet connections of the automatic valve and inside of said tubular bodies are inserted the common threaded valves similar a to the Schrader valves as used in automobile tubes.

able engagement with spring 51 mounted on plate by angles 58. A stud 59 is mounted on plate i5 at adistance away from stud 55. A fixed pawl plate 60 is mounted on studs 55 and 59 while a slidable pawl plate BI is slidably mounted on the same studs, see Figure 7. The

They are so arranged that when the connection is made to the threaded ends the spring loaded valves inside of same are automatically opened and similarly by unscrewing the connection the valve is automatically closed. The valve block 55 is mounted on the inside of plate !5, see Figure 4, '7 and 8. It carries the spring loaded valve disc 3| which is rotatable on pivot 32 which is again pressed down into intimate contact with block by the spring 33, see Figure 6. The valve block 30 also hasan inlet tube 34 which projects to the rear through platelfi and which is suitable for permanent connection to a pump or other apparatus by means of an ordinary rubber hose.

Referring now to Figures '7 and8, the shaft 35, on which the knob 27 is mounted on the front of the timely-extends through plate I 5 and carries the index wheel 36 having a stop pin 3'5 and with the stop spring 38 engaged in the notches in the index wheel 36. The stop spring 38 is fastenedto plate I 5' by means of the angle 39. Similarly the shaft 40, on which is mounted the knob 25 on the front of the timenextends through plate 15 and carries the index wheel M-with the stop pin 52. The stop spring 43 is engaged in the notches of the wheel t! and is fastened to plate l5 by angle id. The index wheel serves to select the desired time interval for the off period while the index-wheel s1 serves to select the on period. The stop pin 45 serves to limit the travel of pin 42, while the stop pin 46 limits the travel of pin 3?.

Referring again to Figures 7 and 8, it will be seen that the rotary Valve disc 3! carries an insulating cam 47. The opening 18 in disc 3! communicates with the valve chamber connecting inlet tube 34 with thetwo outlet tubes 23 and 25. When valve disc 3! is in the position shown in Figure 8 the Valve is open and any pressure existing in the valve chamber is repawl plates BI and BI] are shown in side View in Figures 2 and -6 and a cross-section view of same is shown in Figure 5. The fixed pawl plate 65 carries the pawl '62 which is pivoted at one end to pivot 63. A spring 64 is fastened with one end at 65 to plate 60 while the other end is fastened at 66 to the pawl 52. its the travel of the pawl 62 on both sides while the spring 54 serves to bring the pawl back to its central position see Figure 10. The sliding pawl plate 6! carries a stud $8 at one end and has two longitudinal slots 69 and'lfl. The pawl ii is pivoted on pivot 12 and a pawl spring 73 is fastened at one end to the plate 61 and at the other end to the pawl H while the stop M serves to limit the sidewise travel'of the pawl H see Figure 7. The pawl plate is mounted with the pawl 62 downward toward plate l5 while the pawl plate BI is mounted with the pawl H on the opposite side, as may be seen in Figure 7, the pawl plate is thus exactly reverse in reference to the pawl plate 51 and is similar to same as shown in Figures '7 and 10. The sliding pawl plate 6! is given a reciprocating motion through the connecting rod 15 which is fastened at one end to stud 68 on plate 6!. The other end of the connecting rod 75 is rotatably fastened to the crank 76 of the gear Tl.

Referring now to Figure 7, it will be seen that shafts 35 and 40' carry the similar pin racks l8 and 79, each of which have a number of axially extending pins 85 along their outer periphery. These pins extend a short distance 'on either side of the discs'as indicated in Figure 5. The ends of the next to the last pin 8 of the disc 18 extend further toward plate I5 than the others, see also Figure 9. The disc 79 has a similar long pin 82 which extends toward plate 15. The

leased through opening 48., When, hosvever,

the valve is in the position shown in Figure '7,

opening 48 is closed against the surface of block 30 andthe pressure is on. The valve disc 3! carries two pins 49 and 5S extending outwardly away from plate l5 as shown in Figures '7 and S. A stop pin 5| extends toward plate l5 and acts to limit, the travel of disc 3| when same is turned around its pivot 32. The pin 54 will construction of the pin racks l8 and 19 is similar and is shown in detail in Figures 5 and 7. The bushing 83 has a shoulder at one end and extends through disc 18 and is rigidly fastened with its other end to the gear 84. The disc 18 is loose on the bushing but the spring 85 exerts a pressure on the'washer 86 which again presses on washer 81 which is of felt or fibrous material and which exerts a frictional contact with disc 18. When gear 34 is turned, therefore, there will be a' frictional drag which will tend to move disc 18 in the same direction; The same holds for disc 79 which is driven by the gear 88,

strike against the side of block 35 thus permitting only a limited angle of travel. The terminal block 25 carries a switch which in the preferred embodiment illustrated in the drawings consists of a, single pole, single throw arrangement comprising the two springs 52 and 53 each fastened at one end to the terminal block 25. In Figure 8 the switch is shown in its open position while in Figure 7 the same is closed by the engage- It is obvious upon stud 55 on plate [5, see Figures 7 and'8.

The cam 54 carries a stud 58 and it is in opersee Figures 5, 6 and '7. v

In Figure 9, is shown how the gears 84 and 88 are driven from the synchronous motor 2!. The pinion 89 is mounted on the shaft of the motor 2! and extends through plate It into direct engagement with gears T! and 88 and thus drives both of these gears. at the same time see also cross-section in Figure -5. Gear if! is in engagement with gear 84 and drives same in the opposite direction of the rotation of gear 83. Gear 11, through the crank '56 and the connecting rod 15, also drives the sliding pawl plate 6! and gives same a continuous reciprocating motion.

The operation ofmyinvention is as follows: For a given application the motor speed is calculated to give, for instance, a one minute inter- A stop 5? limval for each of the notches in the index gears. 36 and 4|. It is also of course possible to select mot-or speeds which will give any other desirable time intervals for each notch of gears 36 and 4!. By thus selecting manually the desired time .intervals on and off by turning knobs 26 and 21, the device may be set for repeating at these intervals indefinitely and during. each period the switch 52 and valve 38 which closed and opened for the respective time intervals selected. The turning of the index gear 36 in a clockwise direction will limit the travel of the long pin of disc i3 which governs the time off. The turning of the index gear 4| in an anti-clockwise direction, as shown in Figure 8, will cause the stop pin .2 to limit the travel of the long pin 82 of the disc 79.

As soon as the motor is connected to the line, the pinion 89 moves continuously and drives gears '11, 88 and 3 5 as explained supra. The connecting rod l5 which is hitched to stud 68 of the sliding pawl plate 6! will give the same a reciprocating motion. Depending on whether the throw-over cam 5 i is in the on or oil position, the pawls and ll will engage the pins of discs E8 and iii. If the throw-over cam 54 is in the on position the pawl ll will engage one of the pins 8% of the disc l9 and will turn this disc one pin ahead for each stroke. As the pawl H, by the motion of the plate til, which slides on studs and moves back, the pawl 52, on the fixed plate 66, will engage one of the pins 3i] and will hold the disc 19 and prevent the same from rotating back with the pawl it. At the end of the strok of the sliding plate iii, pawl ll will engage another pin 88 and will drive disc 18 ahead another step. This will be continued until the disc 79 has rotated to a position where the long pin 82 engages the throw-over cam 54. When next the pawl ii engages the last pin of disc iii the long pin engages the throwover cam E i and throws same into its off position, thereby pivoting the pawl plates Bil and on their fixed pivots 59 into engagement with the pin racl: '53 which governs the or? interval. Depending upon the sett'ng of the knob 21 and stop pin El, the pawl it will now engage the pins of the disc at and repeat the same operational cycle as described for disc .79 supra, until the long pin iii engages the throw-over cam fi l and the pawl 'll engages the last pin 30 of the disc '58 whereby the throwover cam 55 will again be snapped over to the on position and new on period begins.

In addition to the functions described supra, the pawl plate ii also has the function of operating the valve disc 3! and concurrently also the switch 52 and 53. The operation of the valve and the switch occurs on the first stroke on the on or oif cycle, respectively. The end of the sliding pawl plate iii, when it goes to the on position, engages the pin 5!] of the valve plate 3| and turns same around its pivot 32 into the on position. At the same time, the insulating cam or closes the switch contacts 52 and 53. When, at the end of the on period, the sliding pawl plate ill is thrown over to the off position, the first stroke of the pawl plate ti will bring the end of same into engagement with the pin Q9 and will throw the valve plate 3| into the oil position, thereby also opening the switch as shown in Figure 16. During both of these operational half cycles the pin racks I8 and are continuously driven by the gears 84 and 88,

respectively, but due to the frictional clutch between these gears and the discs 73 and la, the rack which is being operated the pawl l! is held by pawl 62 and thus prevented from moving while the pawl 52 and H are engaged. The other pin rack, however, which is not engaged by the pawls 62 and I! will be automatically returned to its stationary position which is governed by the position of the stop pins ST and G2, respectively, against which the long pin ill and 82 strike at the end of their travel. By the time the on period, for instance, has been completed, the pin rack '18 has been returned to its starting position with the long pin 8i held against the pin 3'5. lhus the same number of pins will be engaged in each succeeding off period and similarly for the on period depending upon the setting of the knobs 2t and Ill, respectively. The forward movement of disc i3 is furthermore limited by the stop pin in! against which the long pin 85' will strike at the end of its clockwise travel. -Similarly the stop pin 9i will limit the anti-clockwise travel of disc 79 by striking against the long pin 82.

In a preferred application of this invention, the switch 52 and 553, in its 11 position, closes the circuit of an electric motor driving a pump which furnishes pressure to the inlet tube 3% of the valve block 38. This pressure may then be used through the outlet valve 23 and 29 as described supra. When the sliding pawl plate fil is thrown into the off position, the valve plate 3! is turned thereby opening -ie switch *3 and 53 which stops the motor and pump and simultaneously the pressure is released through the opening 48.

It is to be understood that the form. of my invention, herewith shown and described, is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention I claim:

1. An interval timer of the character described having in combination a pair of rectangular mounting plates; a plurality of posts whereby said plates are rigidly mounted together; two similar shafts being rotatably mounted transversally through said plates and having their ends extending outside of said plates on one side of same; a couple of handles attached to the protruding ends of said shafts; two similar notched wheels mounted one on each of said shafts between said plates, said wheels being rotatable by said handles attached to the outside ends of said shafts; two similar stop springs being mounted on one of said plates adjacent to said notched wheels and one of said springs being in engagement with the notched peripheries of each of said wheels; a plurality of stop pins mounted one on each of said wheels and one adjacent to each of said wheels adapted to engage the pins in said wheels; a pin rack wheel rotatably mounted upon each of said shafts adjacent to said notched wheels, said pin rack wheels each having a plu rality of equally long pins mounted axially along the outer periphery of the wheels and in addition one pin longer than the others extending further toward said notched wheels and being adapted to engage the stop pins of said notched wheels; a synchronous motor mounted on the outside of one of said plates and having a shaft extending through said plate; a pinion mounted on said motor shaft; a gear rotatably mounted on each of said transverse shafts adjacent to said pin rack wheels, one of said gears being in direct engagement with said motor pinion; a reversing gear rotatably mounted on the inside of the plate carrying the motor, said reversing gear being in engagement with the motor pinion and with the second gear mounted on said transverse shafts; a throw-over cam mounted on a stud on one of said plates; a double pawl mechanism slidably mounted with one end upon a stud on said throw-over cam and with its other end upon a stud fixed to one of said plates, said pawl mechanism being adapted to engage alternately either of said pin rack wheels according to the position of said throw-over cam; a connecting rod rotatably fastened with one end to an eccentric crank on the side of said reversing gear and having the other end rotatably connected to the end of said double pawl mechanism; a valve block fastened on the inside of one of said plates, and a spring loaded valve plate rotatably mounted on the inner face of said valve block, said valve plate being in operable engagement with said double, sliding pawl mechanism.

2. An interval timer of the kind described in claim 1 where said throw-over cam has a noseformed extremity having two indentations, and a stop spring mounted on one of said rectangular plates, said stop spring being in engagement with one of said indentations in said throw-over cam in each of its positions whereby said cam is held in a definite position and thereby bringing the double pawl mechanism into engagement with either of said pin rack wheels.

3. An interval timer of the kind described in claim 1 where said valve plate has two pins, one on either side of its pivoting point, said pins being engageable with the end of said double pawl mechanism; an insulating cam mounted transversally upon said valve plate; an insulating terminal block mounted on the inside of one of said rectangular plates adjacent to said valve block; a plurality of jack switch springs being mounted on said terminal block in operable relation to said insulating cam whereby said valve and said switch may be simultaneously opened and closed by the action of said double sliding pawl mechanism.

4. A timer comprising a pair of manually adjustable stop members; a pair of rotatable rack members each engageable in one of its rotative positions with one of said stop members; continuously moving time controlled driving means frictionally coupled to said rack members to urge each of them toward engagement with its associated stop member; a shiftable reciprocating pawl means reciprocated by said driving means and alternatively shiftable into engagement with either of said rack members for driving the same away from engagement with its associated stop member; shifting means associated with said pawl means; means on each rack member engageable with said shifting means upon predetermined rotation of said rack member by said pawl means to shift said pawl means out of engagement with said rack member and into engagement with the other rack member, and mechanism controlled by the shifting of said pawl means. 1

5. A timer comprising a pair of manually adjustable stop members; a pair of rotatable rack members each engageable in one of its rotative positions with one of said stop members; continuously moving time controlled driving means frictionally coupled to said rack members to urge each of them toward engagement with its associated stop members; a shiftable reciprocating pawl means reciprocated by said driving means and alternatively shiftable into engagement with either of said members for driving the same away from engagement with its associated stop member; shifting means associated with said pawl means and comprising a cam member rotatably mounted at one end; means on each rack member engageable with said shift means upon predetermined rotation of said rack member by said pawl means to shift said pawl means out of engagement with said rack member and into engagement with the other rack member, and mechanism controlled by the shifting of said pawl means.

6. A timer comprising a pair of manually adjustable stop members; a pair of rotatable rack members each engageable in one of its rotative positions with one of said stop members, continuously moving time controlled driving means frictionally coupled to said rack members to urge each of them toward engagement with its associ ated stop member; a shiftable reciprocating pawl means reciprocated by said driving means and alternatively shiftable into engagement with either of said rack members for driving same away from engagement with its associated stop member, said reciprocating pawl means comprising a member slidably mounted, a two-fingered forward moving pawl mounted on one side of said sliding member, and a similar two-fingered stationary holding pawl mounted upon a fixed member adjacent to said sliding member; shifting means associated with said pawl means; means on each rack member engageable with said shifting means upon predetermined rotation of said rack member by said pawl means of shifting said pawl means out of engagement with said rack member and into engagement with the othe rack member, and mechanism controlled by the shifting of said pawl means.

7. A timer comprising a pair of manually adjustable stop members; a pair of rotatable rack members each engageable in one of its rotative positions with one of said stop members; continuously moving time controlled driving means frictionally coupled to said rack member to urge each of them toward engagement with its associated stop member; a shiftable reciprocating pawl means reciprocated by said driving means and alternatively shiftable into engagement with either of said rack members for driving the same way from engagement with its associated stop member; shifting means associated with said pawl means; means on each rack member engageable with said shifting means upon predetermined rotation of said rack member by said pawl means to shift said pawl means out of engagement with said rack member and into engagement with the other rack member, said means comprising an elongated pin member fastened in said rack members, said pin members being engageable with cam members of said shifting means, and mechanism controlled by the shifting of said pawl means.

JAMES B. MARIS. 

